Tightrope
by 13th Star
Summary: The best things in life are things we never noticed. Harry comes home after many years to finally attend Hogwarts, like his parents intended but what happens when the board has been set against him and things seem to only move faster. Now Harry must decide if he will follow his destiny or forge a new path himself.


"Hogwarts was founded around 990 A.D. by two wizards and two witches: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. Each represented an aspect of personality that they wanted to bring out in their students, aspects that you will be sorted by today," the Scotswoman said, "please keep up." She strode down the hall with purpose as they were already running late.

"I am your Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration teacher Professor McGonagall," McGonagall said as she turned briskly around a corner, "I am also the head of Gryffindor. Professor Snape is the head of Slytherin. Professor Sprout the head of Hufflepuff, and Professor Flitwick is the head of Ravenclaw. Once sorted you will live, learn, and eat with your fellow housemates. Your house will be your family."

The hall danced with eerie shadows as they walked down the halls of Hogwarts. A sudden light flooded the hall and a thunderous clap echoed down the halls. As the sound of thunder echoed out the soft pitter-patter of the heavy torrent rain against the window began to take over. A heavy storm had moved in in just over a couple hours a stark contrast to the beautiful blue sky that had covered the sky just that morning.

"I must say I am impressed, your transcript was…impressive to say the least. Your record is impeccable to say the least, no disciplinary marks, top of your class and an impressive amount of electives and extra-curricular activities: Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Divination, Arcane and Elemental Magic, Magical Theory, Government, Politics, Law, and….," she glanced back at the boy, "Alchemy. Impressive indeed…

"Here at Hogwarts out curriculum is a bit different from Australia along with our entire system. We begin our magical education here at eleven rather than six. We feel that by that age their magical core has stabilized enough to begin their education. This of course is followed by seven years of education here at this fine institution where they will learn core subjects such as Astronomy, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, Potions and Transfiguration. They may also take electives such as Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. After their fifth year OWLS, student are given a one on one meeting to decide their career path, where they will decide which electives and core classes are dropped to focus on their career's most important subjects and qualifications."

"So they are like the student exit exams back in Australia?"

"Not quite, OWLS are more like, qualifiers. In their final year they will take NEWTS on the classes that they chose to continue which in turn will let them apply for the different careers they chose or the academies that they choose to continue at for their masteries. I think however you find that Hogwarts will more than meet your expectations. Now I must state that we unfortunately have any Government, Politics, Law or Alchemy classes; although we do have an alchemy club that meets on Tuesday in the library for theory and Thursdays on the fourth floor for practical, I think you would be a fine addition," Professor McGonagall said with a small smile, "ah, we have arrived. Are you ready Mister Potter-Black?"

Harry looked at Professor McGonagall and gave a smile and a nod. At once the great doors opened. Harry was impressed; the ceiling was beautiful in a malevolent sort of way with the lighting rippling and the rain fading before they could even begin to touch the floating candles. All of the students turned to look at Harry and he looked back at them his face impassive. Harry took note of each table and turned his attention to the head table. The headmaster sat regally in his golden throne-like chair, looking every bit the great and powerful wizard that the books described as. To his right hand was an empty seat, presumably for Professor McGonagall and next to that chair were 3 others filled with teachers. To the left of the headmaster sat a very short man that Harry recognized immediately as the Great Filius Flitwick, charms grandmaster and grandmaster duelist. Harry was eager to attend his class already imagining the great things he could learn from the man. He didn't recognize the next couple of faces until he saw Mad-Eye Moody. Harry assumed that the man taught Defense Against the Dark Arts as he was more than qualified for the position Harry determined. Next to him was a man Harry could instantly recognize, Severus Snape. Snape had been the youngest person to receive his masters on potions and was rumored to be able to brew even the most difficult potions with ease. Harry also knew the man through his god-father turned father, Sirius Black.

Sirius Black and Severus Snape had never gotten along and Sirius let it be known to Harry that he absolutely detested the man but held respect for the man. He also felt guilt for the fact that Sirius had almost killed the man over a petty schoolyard fight. Harry felt nothing towards the man other than the respect of that of a teacher and a man of his art.

The moment that Harry had locked eye with the man seemed to be never ending. The man looked back at him almost lifelessly and hallow. Harry gave a slight nod to the man which surprised the man, if his eyes were anything to go by. On the opposite side of the table were other faces that Harry noted led their field of study but certainly weren't as heavy hitters as the others.

Harry finally turned his eyes to the single stool that was just before the table with a single raggedy hat that Harry instantly recognized as the Sorting Hat, a relic of the times of the founders and one of the great mysteries of magic as no one had yet to replicate the great magically item that could think all on its own without the need to re-charm or any other type of maintenance.

"Welcome Mr. Potter-Black to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the headmaster said with a smile as he looked down from his seat, he then turned his attention to the rest of the students, "in a moment Mr. Potter-Black will put on the Sorting Hat and join one of our great Houses. Over 200 years it has been since a student older than 11 has been sorted and never before has one transferred from another school. I ask that you welcome him among you and teach him the ropes as to say, here at Hogwarts," he turned his attention back to Harry, "Mr. Potter-Black if you would please," he said with a smile and a nod.

Harry strode forward and lifted the hat to seat himself. He looked out over all the students who looked at him while whispering to each other. He gave them all a nod and a smile as he dropped the hat onto his head, covering his eyes and vision.

_Ah, Mr. Potter-Black, I never expected to have you under my brim. I must say it is an honor to be sorting you this day_

_Now, let's see what we have here shall we…hmmm…bright, extremely bright of course, to be expected of. You have bravery that is for sure and loyal to the t. you are ambitious, oh yes, extremely ambitious. Great goals and dreams you have young Harry but you cannot do it alone. Hmm, difficult, very difficult, any house would be fit. You have the brain of a Ravenclaw, the bravery of a Gryffindor, the loyalty and work-ethic of a Hufflepuff but through and through you are a 'SLYTHERIN' and only there will you truly have the tools to achieve what you seek to. Bring the house of snakes to their former glory Mr. Potter-Black, for they have fallen behind the shroud of Voldemort and the numerous poor choices of previous students. Prove that they are not all bad, will you Mr. Potter-Black?_

Before he could respond the hat was pulled from his head and the sounds and murmurings of the students returned. More than a few were shocked and only the house on the far right was clapping as he stood. He gave one last nod to the students and walked to the house with the green banner over it. He noted that although all were clapping more than a few seemed to be only doing so because they had to, the few that did so because they wanted to seemed to be only those younger than Harry.

He calmly sat down next to a girl who looked to be a couple years younger than him with a warm smile. "I, obviously, am Lord Harry Potter-Black, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The girl blushed heavily as she responded, "I-it's an honor to meet you Lord Potter-Black, I am Lady Astoria Vanessa Greengrass, second daughter of Lord Malachi Greengrass."

"Well, Lady Astoria I must say that the honor is all mine. My father speaks very highly of your father," Harry gave a slight nod to Astoria, who blushed even harder, "but please call me Harry, titles are so out of date. And talking like this is just about to make me want to hang myself."

Astoria giggled, "Thank Merlin, I was worried I would have to speak like that all night." Harry raised an eyebrow at Astoria who blushed heavier and stammered out, "I-I-I m-mean t-that's only i-if y-y-you would like to continue t-to speak to m-me. Oh Merlin, I've made a fool of myself now." Astoria buried her face in her hands. She looked up after he heard him chuckle to find him looking at her with a warm smile still on his lips and mirth in his eyes.

"I would like to continue speaking with you, but there's no need to be nervous around, I think you'll find that I'm as normal as everyone else ," he looked up and down the table and noticed the glares he was receiving and some of the stares he was receiving, "well…maybe not everyone here but somewhere where they smile and joke around."

Astoria giggled as she noted the looks that they were receiving, "Don't mind them, you'll find that they're like this on a regular basis," she sighed.

"Are you like that as well?" Harry asked curiosity etched on his face.

Astoria smiled softly, "Sometimes," she replied as she turned her attention to her plate. She noted out of the corner of her eye that Harry continued to look at her for a couple seconds before he turned his attention that had just appeared before him.

She turned her attention to the food as well and they fell into a comfortable silence as they began to eat. But of course, it didn't last as curiosity got the better of Astoria

"So," she asked as she stabbed a Brussels sprout with her fork and pointed at Harry with it and asked, "What is Australia like?" she popped the sprout into her mouth as she looked at him.

"What is Australia like?" Harry repeated as he looked off into the distance, "well it's different from here, that's for sure. It's almost always sunny, the beaches are beautiful, the food is great and the girls are nowhere near as beautiful as here apparently," he said with a wink.

Astoria looked away as she fought down the blush that threatened to turn her red as a tomato, "So why'd you leave?" she asked as she looked down at her plate once again, looking at Harry was difficult without blushing like a school girl, which ironically she was.

"My father thought that it would be best that I continue my education here," Harry stated nonchalantly, "and he thought it would be best if I made connections now rather than later with all the people I would one day sit with on the Wizengamot."

Astoria nodded, the logic was sound, "well you're in best place to make connections but at the worst timing," Astoria said as she nodded at the rest of the students, "things seem to be only getting worse in recent years and Malfoy as already established you as an enemy since the moment he stepped into Hogwarts. He seems hell-bent on making sure you make no connections," she noted as Harry looked over at said young man who looked murderously at Harry.

Harry stared at the boy for a moment before he smirked at turned causing Malfoy to growl, "I'm not surprised, we've never exactly seen eye to eye."

"So you both know each other personally?" Astoria asked.

"Of course, he's my cousin. Little prick can't get over the fact that I am heir to the Black fortune, rather than his pasty little ass," Harry shrugged, "in fact, he's the reason my father and I left England in the first place. We fought from the moment we say each other, even before we could walk. Things got really ugly after we could walk. Malfoy got the worst end of it, it's the reason he's hell-bent on making me look back. I stabbed him with a fork once, sent him into the lake about four times and basically super charmed his to the roof of the nursery several times, I've always been more magically powerful than him," Harry explained.

Astoria fought to keep her pumpkin juice from coming out of her nose as she suppressed her laugh, "Merlin, I almost feel bad for him…not really. You could also add stealing one of his 'girls' to that list though," Astoria said with a smirk. Harry looked at her confused, "he's convinced himself that he's going to marry me and my sister someday, little prick is so full of himself that I'm surprised he doesn't drown."

Harry laughed, "Sounds just like Malfoy," he reached for the pitcher of juice and grabbed another roll, "so you have a sister?"

"Yes, an older one, Daphne," Astoria said, and glance up the table before pointing her out, "that's her right there. She's in your year, head of her class, or at least was until you came along."

Harry looked at the girl and noted that unlike Astoria's wavy brunet hair, Daphne had straight dirty blond hair that was in a messy bun and seemed to be concentrating on her book and ignoring everyone around her. She suddenly looked up and stared Harry in the eyes and then her sister with a raised eyebrow before returning to her book and scribbling a note in the book with what Harry noted was a muggle pen.

"Well, she doesn't hate you," Astoria said with a smile and looked surprisingly happy with the news, "that puts on better terms with her than every other guy in the school."

Harry laughed, "Really?"

"Yup, she absolutely detests every boy she's ever met, mainly because they seem to get stuck on the fact that she's beautiful," Astoria said, "it's part of the veela trait, it can get annoying really."

Harry turned to Astoria confused, "Veela?"

"Oh come on, you have to have noticed," Astoria said with a roll of her eyes only to find Harry looking at her confused, "you really don't feel it?" she asked confused

"Feel what?" Harry asked

"The pull!" Astoria said, "Merlin, you can't feel it?! Oh my, I've never met someone who hasn't been able to feel it before!" Astoria said excitedly, "my sister and I are part veela, well about an eight veela but really all you need is a drop of veela in you and the allure is a sure thing."

"I've never been able to feel it unless I'm close to a full one face to face and even then it's only felt like a slight pull to the fact that I want to impress her but I've never really acted on it," Harry explained.

Astoria smiled, "well it's good to finally meet someone who isn't tripping over themselves to impress us, it can get irritating; my sister gets the worst of it though. She's older so the allure has had time to develop full unlike me since I am younger. While I can grab a boy's attention in the immediate area on occasion, she naturally pulls anyone who so much as looks at her and is within twenty meters of her."

"Must be difficult I would imagine then," Harry stated with a nod, "it must be similar to the attention I receive from the female population except two fold. I can see why she would detest every boy she ever met, if they act like an idiot around her every time."

"You have no idea," Astoria grumbled before perking up, "but it can have its perks too; watch this," she said with a smirk. She turned to the boy next to her who looked to be about her year, "Gravin, could you pass the potatoes?"

Said boy blushed and reached for the ones that were in front of him only for Astoria to stop him before he could, "oh no, not those, I want those ones," she said pointing at the ones on the other end of the table." The boy didn't even question it as he immediately got up and ran to the other end of the table to get the potatoes.

"Wow, impressive," Harry said as he watched the boy hastily return with the potatoes.

Astoria winked at him before she turned to address the boy as he approached, "oh Gravin, I'm so sorry, I forgot that I'm allergic to potatoes," as she said this she popped one of the potatoes into her mouth from her plate.

"I-i-it's ok, my fault," Gravin said as he returned the potatoes.

As soon as the boy had turned, Harry snorted as he tried suppressing his laugh, "well now, that wasn't very nice," Harry whispered to Astoria. Astoria shrugged as she returned to her plate, "Hey could you grab the juice, this jug is out," he whispered to her

Before Astoria knew what she was doing she was up and walking to grab the jug several meters down the table before she suddenly halted and turned, bewildered, to Harry who was looking at her smiling as he poured himself some more juice from the one he had just said was out.

She returned to her seat quickly blushing heavily, before she turned to him, "How did you do that? Are you part veela? But I've never heard of a male veela before."

Harry laughed, "No such thing, could you imagine the consequences of a male veela? It'd be chaos and many girls would end up hurt and angry, the world is a better place without one. No, that was called voxology, a very ancient and very rare magically ability that only five people in the world have, one being me and another being your esteemed Headmaster. It's an ability that Veela can mimic but are not inherently born with.

"The best way I could explain it to you is that my voice is laced with magic which adjusts itself to your eardrum to make my voice the most appealing thing you've ever heard and in a way affects you in a way as to get you to do with I want. Had I really wanted to, you would have: gone and grabbed the juice, poured me the glass, and even held up the glass for to drink from it without so much as a second thought simply because I wished it so. My voice in essence enters your mind and tricks it into believing that it is not only my voice but your thought. I of course cannot force a girl to love me, or to even kiss me for that matter, magic has its own laws, though few as they may be," Harry finished with a smile.

"Wow…," Astoria stared wide-eyed at Harry before smirking, "so what's the worst thing you've ever made someone do?"

Harry smiled at her, "well, I didn't physically put that fork in Malfoys leg myself."

The Hall went silent ass Astoria laughed for 5 straight minutes with Harry trying to hide himself.


End file.
